El Zorro Y El Trueno: Parte 3
by Ariana de la Vega
Summary: Disney Series: what if Ricardo Del Amo decided that Zorro didn't have such a bad idea?


EL ZORRO Y EL TRUENO  
PARTE 3  
(VERSION 2)  
  
Anna Maria had struggled as much as she could, but the two men that  
held her captive overpowered her. The third man dealt with the still  
unconscious Don Alejandro while their fearless leader in the Zorro costume  
stood watch outside of the mine.   
  
The three men tied their captives to a pole deep in the mineshaft.  
"That ought to hold them." One man said.  
  
"Zorro will save us!" Anna Maria screamed.  
  
"No, he won't! No one will save you. We've already proved that we  
are not afraid to kill, little girl." Another man said.  
  
Anna Maria tried to stay strong, but Diego's death weighed heavily  
on her shoulders. She felt a tear escape her eye as she stared daggers at  
her capture. "You will pay dearly for what you have done."  
  
"No, we won't." The man laughed, "You rich people will no longer be  
the boss of us."  
  
"Wait. We work for Don Fern-" the man was cut off by a punch from  
the other. The third just stood back and laughed.   
  
"You and your patriotic speeches. Andres, we work for the richest of  
them all, you idiot." the third man said as he laughed. "Now we need to  
get out of here before he decided to light the fuse." The third man pulled  
his two companions out of the mine.  
  
"Adios, Senorita." One man yelled as they left.  
  
Anna Maria started to cry, the feeling of complete despair  
threatening to overcome her. "Oh, where can he be, and why didn't he save  
Diego?"  
  
"Do not despair, we will be all right." A hand reached over and  
gently touched Anna Maria on the shoulder. She turned her head to see the  
kind face of Don Alejandro.  
  
"Don Alejandro! You are awake! How do you feel?" She was  
surprised. Apparently, Don Alejandro was a good actor.  
  
"I am fine. What happened to Diego?" The older man's face was  
etched with worry.  
  
Anna Maria felt the tears rising, she had forgotten that he didn't  
know, "Diego... he... Oh, Senior, he is dead." Having to admit this was  
the hardest thing she had ever done. She let herself go and was now crying  
like a dam inside her had broken.  
  
Don Alejandro felt his heart sink at the news, he refused to  
believe that is only son, his pride and joy, was gone forever. Alejandro  
remembered that he had been tactful while playing unconscious, that was why  
he could reach Anna Maria. He had made it so that the knot was very loose.  
He had released himself, and now he had to release Anna Maria so that they  
could escape. He would worry about Diego later.  
  
________________  
  
"The fuse is lit! Let's go." The leader of the henchmen said he  
turned to his men and smiled, "Mission accomplished, boys. Don Fernando is  
going to be very happy with us. Let's go to the tavern to celebrate." The  
leader started to the horses, but was stopped by a whip that caught him  
around the neck.  
  
"You won't be celebrating a thing tonight." A man dressed in gray  
leaped off of the rock he was parched on and landed among the men, whip in  
hand.   
  
"Zorro?" The leader choked out.  
  
"No. I am El Trueno. Zorro can not be trusted with being on time."  
Trueno announced as he drew his sword.  
  
"Oh, I can't can I?" another voice said. A black form leapt down  
from his beautiful black stallion and drew his sword as well.  
  
"Zorro!" The three henchmen chorused.  
  
"What is going on here?" Zorro asked.  
  
  
"Senorita Verdugo and Don Alejandro are being held captive in that  
mine." Trueno informed Zorro.  
  
"I can take over out here, you get them." Zorro commanded.   
  
Trueno agreed and ran into the mineshaft. Halfway to the end, he  
met Anna Maria and Don Alejandro.  
  
"We have to hurry and get you out of here." Trueno said.  
  
"Who are you?" Anna Maria asked.  
  
"No time, we must hurry." Trueno led Anna Maria and Don Alejandro  
out of the mine.   
  
  
"Please, tell me who you are!" Anna Maria demanded. She looked up  
at Trueno and calmed a bit. There was something in his eyes that she found  
familiar, and it eased her nerves a bit. Just as she asked, the charges  
blew. She turned her head to see the explosion and Zorro diving over some  
rocks for cover. "Zorro!" Anna Maria was so overjoyed to see him.  
  
Alejandro heard Anna Maria yell over the explosion and turned to see  
Zorro rolling out from under flying debris. Alejandro almost passed out, he  
was so happy to see his son was alive and as active as ever as Zorro leapt to  
his feet and charged after one of the bandits.  
  
Trueno looked over to see Zorro with his sword unsheathed in a sword  
fight between himself and the leader of the henchmen. Zorro was truly an  
amazing swordfighter, and the leader didn't have a chance, Trueno thought.  
Then he saw one of the henchmen sneaking up behind Zorro. Trueno turned to  
Don Alejandro and Anna Maria, "I must go help my friend. I will be right  
back. Stay here." Trueno didn't wait for an answer, he just ran off and  
took out his whip. He stood back and waited for the henchman to get into  
just the right place, and then he drew the whip back and struck. The whip  
wrapped around the henchman's wrist. Trueno then pulled and the henchman  
fell to the ground. Trueno ran over and tied the man up.   
  
Zorro heard the crack of the whip and turned to see Trueno running  
over to the fallen henchman. Zorro smiled and returned to the sword fight.  
He was forcing the leader to the edge, and soon, the leader would have a  
choice to make. "If you do not give up now, you will fall." Zorro informed  
him.  
  
The leader looked behind him and saw the edge was almost under his  
feet, "You would never make me choose that, Senior Zorro, everyone knows you  
don't have the heart to murder." The leader was right.  
  
And Zorro knew it, but he was more cunning then that. "Oh, I don't  
do I? Zorro jumped towards the man, and the man jumped backwards.   
  
"Are you insane, you'll make me fall!" The leader screamed.  
  
"You're point?" Zorro just smiled and continued to push the man  
closer to the edge. "If you simply give up, I will stop. I have a feeling  
that you do not want to die, senior."  
  
The man looked at Zorro in horror, "You wouldn't!"   
  
"How do you know?"  
  
The man saw no fear in Zorro's eyes, and that is what scared him the  
most. The man finally dropped his sword off of the cliff and bowed his  
head, "I give up. Please, don't kill me." The man begged.  
  
Zorro had to laugh a little, he grabbed the man by the arm and began  
to drag him down the mountain, "Kill you? I wasn't going to kill you.  
Remember, I don't have the heart for it." Zorro put the leader with the  
other men.  
  
Anna Maria ran up to Zorro, "Zorro! I am so happy to see you!  
Please, you have to help Diego."  
  
Zorro looked at her, "Diego? Where is he?"  
  
"He's at my hacienda. He fell and was left for dead." She did her  
best to remain composed.  
  
Trueno looked at her in shock and his face went pale. If I had only  
been a bit faster, he cursed himself. He ran to his horse and jumped on.  
  
Zorro looked to his vigilante companion and knew exactly what he  
was doing. Zorro called for his horse.  
  
Anna Maria and Don Alejandro looked to the two masked men and  
smiled, "Diego will be alright, right?" Anna Maria asked.  
  
"You have my word." Zorro said as the two men rode off. Once they  
were out of sight, Zorro stopped his horse in front of Trueno.  
  
"What are you doing? We have to save Diego!" Trueno was furious,  
his friend could be dead, and Zorro didn't seem to care.  
  
"What do you call yourself?" Zorro asked.  
  
"El Trueno."   
  
"Ah... The Thunder... you have some strange obsession with thunder,  
don't you Ricardo." Zorro answered as he smiled.  
  
Trueno's eyes went wide, "How did you know who I am?"  
  
"I just know."  
  
"Well, I have no time to worry about that. Diego is my best friend,  
and I have to save him. Now move out of my way." Trueno demanded.  
  
"No." Zorro said, "Diego is fine, trust me."   
  
"How do you know? Who are you?" Trueno asked.  
  
Zorro looked around and then jumped off of his Tornado, "I suppose  
it is only fair. Get off of your horse and follow me."  
  
"But, Diego..."  
  
"Just follow me." Zorro demanded.  
  
Trueno obeyed and got off of his horse to follow Zorro. Zorro led  
him to a covered part of the land and smiled. "Ok, well... it's only fair  
if I know who you are that you know who I am. But you have to promise me  
that you will not tell a soul. Do I have your word?"  
  
Trueno considered for a while, and then answered, "You have my word  
as a don that I will keep your secret, but only as long as you keep mine."   
  
"I figured there would be a catch." Zorro smiled, "Shall we shake on  
it?" Zorro offered his hand.  
  
"Yes." Trueno took Zorro's hand and the two shook on keeping their  
secrets. "Now, who are you? And hurry, we have Diego to save."  
  
Zorro smiled and took off his mask, "No, you don't."  
  
Trueno almost collapsed, "Diego!"  
  
"Shh.. keep your voice down." Diego shushed his friend.  
  
"I knew it. Ever since the first time I met Zorro, I had a feeling  
I knew him. You are a better actor then I thought." Trueno removed his own  
mask.   
  
"I know. Three years in Madrid can do someone a world of good in  
street smarts. I just hope none of my friends from there ever come here,  
they could blow my cover." Diego laughed as he went to his saddlebag.   
  
"How is that?" Ricardo asked as he did the same.  
  
"Well, I was the best swordsmen in my class, no one here would ever  
believe that." Diego said as he took out his cloths. "Now, Anna Maria  
thinks I was seriously injured. We will go back to the mine as Diego and  
Ricardo. You will say that you rode out to the Verdugo Hacienda to see her  
and found me."  
  
"Sounds like a good plan. But are you going to act hurt?" Ricardo  
asked.  
  
"Well, I never escape a fight without a few scratches, and I did hurt  
myself in the fall. Nothing that Zorro would complain about, but Diego is a  
different story." The two friends laughed as they changed quickly to rejoin  
Anna Maria and Senior de la Vega.   
  
_______________  
  
Anna Maria began to pace as she waited for Zorro to return with  
news. She hoped beyond hope that Diego was ok.   
  
"Senoritta Verdugo, Senior de la Vega, what are you doing out here?"  
SSgt. Garcia asked as he rode up with six lancers in tow.  
  
"SSgt. Garcia! Thank God you are here." Anna Maria ran up to him,  
"Did you see Zorro or his companion on the way over here?"  
  
"If I had, I would not be here, Senorita. Why do you ask? What has  
happened here?" Garcia asked as he dismounted his horse.  
  
"The men over there can tell you everything, Sergeant." Don  
Alejandro said as he pointed to the men that were tied up only a few feet  
away. The leader in black had a Z carved into his cloths, and a T next to  
it.   
  
"Zorro." The SSgt. said, "But who is the T for?"  
  
"El Trueno." A voice said from behind the group.   
  
Anna Maria recognized the voice and spun around. "Diego!!" She ran  
to Diego as he gingerly climbed off of the horse he was on. She wrapped her  
arms around him and felt him wince in pain. She drew back and began to  
treat him like a porcelain doll. "Diego, thank god you are alright." She  
began to cry. She looked up to his companion and smiled, "Ricardo, did you  
find him?"  
  
"Ricardo saved me, Anna Maria. I owe him my life." Diego said.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, Diego." Ricardo said as he got off of  
his horse.  
  
"Who is this 'El Trueno'? Not another masked avenger, I hope."  
SSgt. Garcia asked.  
  
"I'm afraid so, SSgt. Garcia." Diego smiled as he walked over to  
his father.  
  
"Are you hurt, Diego?" Alejandro asked as he hugged his son.  
  
"Bruised and scratched, but nothing that a day of rest would not  
cure." Diego said as he smiled at his father. "I am alright, father."  
  
Anna Maria walked over to Diego and smiled, "Diego," she leaned up  
and kissed him on the cheek, "never scare me like that again. I thought you  
were dead."   
  
"I am truly sorry, Anna Maria." Diego smiled a very big smile as  
he looked at his friend.  
  
"You are forgiven." She smiled and turned to Ricardo, "And as for  
you..." She walked over to him and also kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you  
for saving him, Ricardo. And I want the both of you to know that you two  
are the most important men in my life, and I could never live without either  
of you, no matter what I say or how many silly little stunts you pull."  
  
"Gracias, Anna Maria." Diego and Ricardo said at the same time.  
The trio of friends began to laugh.  
  
Don Alejandro walked over to SSgt. Garcia and smiled, "Well,  
everything seems to be ok here."   
  
"Yes, it does. Those three get into more trouble together then they  
ever could apart." SSgt. Garcia observed.  
  
"Si, Sergeant. They do." Alejandro patted SSgt. Garcia on the back  
as they both watched the trio argue and joke as if nothing had ever  
happened.  
  



End file.
